The efficiency and effectiveness of the VRS technology as a densification to the RTK – Single Base technique for GPS/GNSS surveys in South Africa

Session

GNSS and Geodesy

Full Paper Review

No

Authors

Teboh oMichael Maphakisa, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform,South Africa, TMaphakisa@ruraldevelopment.gov.za

Abstract

GPS/GNSS measurements have become an essential part of the global geospatial community and in South Africa there has been a continuous introduction and/or advancements of techniques introduced to improve on the efficiency and effectiveness of the traditional RTK GPS/GNSS measurement technique. There has been uncertainty among professionals in the geospatial community; surveyors in particular on whether the Virtual Reference Station (VRS) concept improves the accuracy of GPS measurements as some studies have suggested, however there has been other studies differing with these findings which is the subject matter in this study.

The paper aims to demonstrate the accuracy comparisons of GPS/GNSS survey techniques in South Africa and to an extent; the efficiency and reliability of the Virtual Reference Station (VRS) technology; as a densification to the GPS/GNSS Real Time Kinematic (RTK) technique. The analysis in the study was specifically chosen to ensure the reciprocal comparison of the GPS/GNSS measurement techniques and the findings presented at the end of the paper will prove whether the VRS technology improves the accuracy of GPS/GNSS measurements and if the viability of the VRS concept varies by location or not and whether the VRS concept can be declared to be a substitute for classic RTK except for the time and cost saving elements.

View This Paper